Anyone heard the new Focal Grande Utopia EM?


Here is a nice write up of the new JM Labs / Focal Grande Utopia EM. There is some truly amazing technology here. Has anyone heard them?

http://www.audiounlimiteddenver.com/
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Showing 5 responses by paul_goldstone

Monday morning Focal delivered the Grand Utopia EM's to my house to replace the Alexandria's that I have been using. If anyone is interested in buying the Alexandria’s please let me know. Bob Hodas, a good friend and wonderful acoustician will be setting them up shortly. Currently we have them facing each other, wrapped up in blankets, and set out of phase in a corner of my listening room while they break. The folks at Focal, who I might add are really nice people, recommend breaking them in like this for a few weeks i.e. for 500-1000 hours. I am being uncharacteristically patient and disciplined while this happens. I decided to get them to settle down before tuning them to the room. If anyone would like for me to report on my experience with the new speakers just post any questions you might have and I will do my best to report back.
Thank you guys. I bought them to celebrate my 60th birthday. For the last few years I have been using the Halcro dm68’s which I have always really enjoyed. Everything is still running through the Alexandria’s which are for the time being adequate at best. I also replaced my aging dCS stack with the Scarlatti which I think is just a spectacular digital front end. The Utopia’s are all wrapped up with blankets, pillows, bed spreads, and everything else I could find to silence them while they breaking. It’s a strange site.
Hi Phaelon,
For the past 5 years I have been using the Halcro dm68's. I love these amps. As a matter of fact, I am toying with the thought of replacing them with the dm88's. I would not expect more than a slight difference but for my taste the Halcro's are just about perfect. I also use the Halcro preamp with phono stage.

The other day Alectiong asked if I was unhappy with the Alexandria's and yes I am not satisfied with the Wilson speakers in general. The reasoning is kind of complicated so I will respond with my opinion about this when there is a little more time to do this thoughtfully.

Lastly, Congrats Seos. You pointed out the Grand Utopia's need a good 300 hours to break in. I knew it was going to take a chunk of time and the folks a Focal actually said they would like me to run them in for 1000 hours. I'm just passing their advice along to the group. I'm not sure if I can be that patient but so far I am staying with the program! :-)
Paul
Yes Cajunpepe, I never forget that I am lucky to be able to enjoy this type of equipment. I have used the dCS going back to the earliest Verdi and Elgar and now listen with the newer Scarlatti stack. Finally digital has come of age and is giving my vinyl a real run for the money. I have not yet put the Grand Utopia's into the system but as they flex their mussels in the corner of my listening room I can start to hear the base and highs start to sound very intoxicating.
Alectiong,
We have not yet replaced the Alexandria's. The new EM's are still breaking in but that is coming along very well. The EM's are connected to an arcam amp and transport and can hear them playing in a different area of my music studio. They have been running 24/7 for roughly three weeks and are clearly settled in. This coming Wednesday Bob Hodus, a good friend and well know acoustician, and I will set them up and begin to turn them to my room. When we swap the speakers we will be able to see how the Utopia’s sound with the Halcro amps and the Scarlatti stack. Some time ago I discovered that the dSC DAC sound far better when bypassing the preamp and connected directly into the amps. It is like a different piece of equipment. It is however already clear to me that the Utopia's are in an entirely different leaguing that the Alexandria's. I don't think anything I have heard to date will compare favorably to the EM's but I will know better by the end of next week and start to report back to this forum. I have done absolutely no critical listening yet while they are breaking in but I can hear that these speakers are extremely musical.
Paul